


try a little tenderness (all you gotta do is try)

by aserenitatum



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: F/F, This is so soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23046040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aserenitatum/pseuds/aserenitatum
Summary: “I feel disgusting,” Dinah says, glancing down at herself and there’s a lilt to her voice that already puts Helena on edge, even before Dinah turns those dark eyes onto her. “I need to shower.”“Okay,” is all she says, because she’s not sure what else to say in response to that, casting an awkward glance around the living room to figure out what she’s supposed to do in this situation. Should she stay and wait, or was that Canary’s subtle way of asking her to leave?“You should join me.”
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 67
Kudos: 579





	try a little tenderness (all you gotta do is try)

**Author's Note:**

> oh yeah these two  
> i just love them so much

“Thanks for the lift,” Dinah says after easily swinging her leg up over the parked motorcycle and standing on the sidewalk with Helena’s spare helmet tucked under her arm, her hand coming up to help shake her hair loose in the process. 

Helena’s gotten used to the routine by now, picking up and dropping off Dinah at home after missions with Renee, an unspoken carpooling agreement that they’d come to after Canary had grumbled about sitting in Gotham traffic for an hour every morning and Helena had mentioned that her motorcycle could easily zip between cars on the freeway. 

Dinah glances at her building and then back at Helena, hovering for a moment longer than Helena’s used to so she takes off her own helmet, waiting patiently for whatever it is Dinah wants to say. 

“Wanna come up?” 

“Sure,” she says, a little too quickly if the pleased twist of Dinah’s lips is anything to go by. “Should I take that?” 

She gestures to the helmet still in Dinah’s possession but the woman quirks her lips, turns away with a mysterious smile. “No, I think I’ll hold onto it.” 

The possessiveness of the move is startling to Helena, and even though it probably makes more sense for Dinah to keep the spare since she’s the only passenger Helena ever has, there had been an implicit deal between them that Dinah never keeps the helmet to avoid a presumption of commitment between them, so the meaning behind Dinah saying that, almost explicitly asking Helena to pick her up the next day, is not lost on her. 

“Come on,” Dinah says as she turns away and Helena is quick to follow her, up the stairs and into her cozy apartment. 

It’s not the first time she’s there but Helena always finds something new to see in Dinah’s apartment and the insight into her life it gives her. 

“I feel disgusting,” Dinah says after she tosses her keys into a bowl, glancing down at herself and there’s a lilt to her voice that already puts Helena on edge, even before Dinah turns those dark eyes onto her. “I need to shower.” 

“Okay,” is all she says, because she’s not sure what else to say in response to that, casting an awkward glance around the living room to figure out what she’s supposed to do in this situation. Should she stay and wait, or was that Canary’s subtle way of asking her to leave even though she’d just invited her up to her apartment? 

“You should join me.” 

Her head snaps back so quickly, her surprise clear and Dinah is clearly amused by it, the corners of her eyes crinkling as her lips twitch. 

“What?” 

“You should join me in the shower.” 

She’s pretty sure she must be hallucinating at this point, but the way Dinah’s long fingers coyly fiddle with the belt around her waist suggests that this is all very real and actually happening and Helena thinks she might faint. 

“Okay,” her mouth moves before she can stop it and Dinah’s sly smile falters for the briefest moment, giving away that she hadn’t expected that answer, but then that smile returns as she steps closer, tilting her head to look up at Helena. 

“Okay.” 

She lets Dinah reach for her jacket and push it down her shoulders, fingertips grazing along the muscles of her upper arm and her eyes following the trail. It’s honestly a little cute how riveted Dinah is by the reveal of her arms and shoulders and Helena wonders what other reactions she can get out of her. She lets Dinah strip her naked before quickly taking off her own clothes, something Helena doesn’t even attempt because she has no idea how she’d begin to try and remove Canary’s tight pants, she’s just grateful for the toned legs that emerge from the dark blue fabric. 

“Come on,” Dinah whispers, her fingertips grazing down the inside of Helena’s forearm until she links just one finger with hers, urging Helena to follow her to the bathroom. 

Helena’s not sure where to rest her eyes and she doesn’t even have time to feel self-conscious about her body, and all the scars and bruises that litter it, because she’s too distracted by all of Dinah’s smooth brown skin on display. The woman doesn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable, feet quietly padding along until they’re standing in her bathroom. 

Helena watches as Dinah leans into the shower to turn on the water and when she turns back, her gaze falls to her breasts before immediately jumping away. 

She misses the way Dinah smiles at that response, the way Dinah takes that opportunity to really look at her, and the way Dinah licks her lips. She misses all of it while staring — studying — the skincare products Dinah has littered on her bathroom counter, counting bottles and vials as she tries to reconcile the fact that she has no idea how she’s gotten herself in this situation with the looming knowledge that she’s agreed to share a shower. 

With Dinah. 

A naked shower. 

Which is how all showers are taken, but still. 

Dinah’s touch travelling drags her attention back to the present and she finds herself looking at those long, deft fingers as they leave her own and travel up the outside of Helena’s arm, slowly, maddeningly up until they curl around her upper arm. Helena swallows thickly and when she looks up at Dinah’s face, she finds the woman already watching her closely. 

There’s no hint of amusement there anymore, no tremble to the corners of her mouth or eyebrow ticking upwards and her eyes are dark with intent. 

“Can I—” She stops herself, mouth clamping shut and Dinah seems surprised that she’s spoken in the first place but she still tilts her head sideways to encourage Helena to continue. Helena’s not sure how to get her question out and to stop her hands from trembling she curls her fingers into fists at her side. “Touch?” 

That beautiful smile makes a comeback as it unfurls slowly over Dinah’s face, all her features lighting up and Helena feels like she could drown in the sight of it forever. 

“Wherever you want,” Dinah says and her voice is low, like a melody over gravel. Her hand is gone from Helena’s bicep and before she has the wherewithal to frown at that she can feel Dinah’s fingers on her fists, gently urging her hands open and once Helena complies, Dinah curls her fingers around Helena’s wrists and lifts them. 

Her hands shake softly but Helena’s grateful for Dinah’s guidance because even with the permission to touch, she still had no idea where or how to begin doing that. 

Dinah places the hands on her hips and keeps her own over Helena’s to anchor them in place and the skin under her touch is so incredibly soft that it seems almost not right. 

Dinah’s sharp kicks and cutting wit and pointed ear studs are so contrasted by the pureness of her laugh and her unfailing kindness and the soft of her skin and Helena feels overwhelmed by it all. 

One of her hands slides up Helena’s arm, like she’s physically incapable of stopping herself and the gentle tugging makes Helena step closer, just as Dinah takes a step back. 

Her brow furrows as she stops but then Dinah squeezes her bicep again as she takes another step back and she realises that Dinah’s leading her into the shower, steam starting to curl around them as the stream of water finally turns hot. Once they’re finally fully in the shower, Dinah leans in very close and Helena feels her heart stutter to a stop but all Dinah does is reach behind her to close the shower curtain, trapping them and the heat there. 

She doesn’t move away though and Helena has to swallow down the knot in her throat when she can feel Dinah’s breasts brush against her own. The hand that had reached out behind her ends up on the back of her neck, fingers tangling in hair and Helena’s eyes slide closed with a sigh when Dinah curls her fingers and gently rakes her nails over her scalp. 

The move is soothing and it calms her and her hands move on their own when she slides them from Dinah’s hips to her back, holding her close. 

She can feel Dinah’s steady breaths fan across her jaw and Helena finally opens her eyes and turns her head to find Dinah’s face right there, so close to hers. 

“Is this okay?” she asks quietly, hint of a smile on her face as her thumb softly rubs back and forth over the skin just below Helena’s ear and she’s so distracted by the touch that it takes her a moment to realise that Dinah’s asking about their proximity and not something else like the hot water lapping at their feet. 

“Yes.” 

“Is it okay if I kiss you?” Dinah asks then and the stray thought that they’re wasting water seeps from Helena’s mind as she thinks about Dinah’s lips against hers. 

“Yes.” 

She doesn’t kiss her immediately and a part of Helena is grateful for that because when those full lips brush against the curve of her jaw, she already feels like she’s going to melt into a puddle. Dinah’s lips are so soft as she barely kisses her jaw, moving along and over to her cheek, exhaling softly before gently kissing the corner of her mouth. Her hands adjust to her movement, fingers sliding out of Helena’s hair to cup her other cheek and tilt her head towards her and Dinah hovers in front of her, eyes studying her and fingers calming as she rolls her thumb over Helena’s cheekbone. 

She seems to be looking for something, waiting calmly and Helena’s whole body tingles with the urge to just lean forward and kiss her, the impatience in her welling up and settling in her gut and her eyes flicker down to Dinah’s lips and back up. 

And then suddenly, _finally_ , Dinah kisses her. 

It’s embarrassing how long she’s been thinking about kissing Dinah and yet nothing could have prepared her for the feeling, for the way Dinah almost yanks her down by the back of her neck and moulds her body against Helena’s while she presses their lips together. 

All Helena can do is hold her and let herself be kissed, her lips parting on a gasp and Dinah takes advantage of that to slip her tongue in Helena’s mouth, curling and licking and Dinah’s mouth is so hot and the warmth seems to travel straight down her spine while her brain fogs. 

And then as quickly as it had started, it stops and Dinah pulls away with a gasp and Helena’s eyes snap open, trailing over Dinah’s face, trying to figure out what happened that had made her stop but Dinah doesn’t say anything, her chest rising rapidly with her stilted breathing and the quirk of a smile and fingertips pressing at the base of the skull are all the encouragement Helena needs to surge forwards and be the one to initiate this kiss. 

She’s emboldened by the way Dinah curves into her, every inch of their bodies pressed together and the soft mewl she gets in response to her licking into Dinah’s mouth hotly. Dinah drags her nails down her back and Helena gasps into her mouth, takes a step forward and unintentionally putting Dinah under the showerhead and under the strong stream of water and Dinah rips away as she makes a sound of surprise, hand flailing behind her to adjust the temperature of the water and Helena’s eyes go wide when she realises what she’s accidentally done. 

“Oh god, I’m so sorry, I—” 

“Shh,” Dinah says with a laugh, hand gentle on Helena’s arm and to prove that it’s alright, she steps even further back to let the water fully wash over her, tipping her head back to let it run over her face and Helena’s stomach dips with the sharpness of her exhale at the sight. “You coming?” 

She doesn’t trust her voice, not sure she can get out an affirmative without stuttering or sounding like she’s drowning so she just nods and steps closer and Dinah lifts a hand between them like an invitation that Helena takes, sliding her own over it and smiling when Dinah uses the grip to pull her under the water with her. 

“As fun as teasing you is,” Dinah starts, lips brushing against Helena’s ear and Helena can feel her cheeks grow warm. “I really do need a shower.” 

“Oh,” she says. “Okay.” 

“Do you need to wash your hair?” she asks as she turns away from Helena to reach for a bottle on the shelf nearby and when she glances over her shoulder to see Helena staring at her lower back with her hands hovering just over her hips, she smiles softly. “Do you want me to wash your hair for you?” 

“How are you going to reach?” 

Dinah smiles with her mouth open in light surprise as she turns back, eyebrow arching and Helena feels her lips quirk up into a half-smile, proud of herself for the tease. 

“You could kneel,” Dinah finally says, turning back with a bottle of shampoo in her hands. 

“On the ground?” 

“You’ll stab a man in a tunnel but you won’t kneel on my shower floor to let me wash your hair?” 

Her smile vanishes as her cheeks grow warm again and she stutters out a, “No! That’s not—!” She lets out a low growl that just makes Dinah smile wider before slowly dropping to her knees in front of the woman, suddenly faced with a whole new issue now that staring straight ahead means looking right at Dinah’s abs. 

The instinct to press her lips there is so strong that Helena needs to clench her jaw and swallow thickly and mercifully she doesn’t have to look for a distraction for much longer as Dinah brings the handheld showerhead closer while tipping Helena’s head back to rinse her hair with water. 

Soon enough fingers drag through her hair, along her scalp to lather in the shampoo and Helena doesn’t ever remember a time where somebody’s done this for her, and she doesn’t think she’s felt something as calming in her adult life. 

Her eyes slide closed as Dinah works the shampoo in her hair, fingers moving with purpose and Helena sits back against her legs with a soft sigh, relaxing the longer it goes on. 

Dinah starts humming softly, a melody she doesn’t recognise but she enjoys it all the same, relaxed features pulling into a small frown when Dinah stops. 

“Head back,” she whispers with a finger under Helena’s chin so she tips her head back so that Dinah can rinse out the shampoo. 

She opens her eyes to find Dinah smiling down at her, eyes impossibly kind and the entire scene feels a little too intimate for her but it’s as if Dinah can read her mind because her smile twists and she shoots Helena a wink. 

“Eyes closed, miss Bertinelli.” 

She does as commanded and lets Dinah lather shampoo in her hair a second time, working much more efficiently and in no time the shampoo is being rinsed out again and Dinah lets out a content hum when the water comes out clear, no more dirt and mud coming from her hair anymore. 

Conditioner is next and Helena tries to savour the moment as much as she can, how good it feels to have Dinah’s hands in her hair before it’s all over again. 

“I don’t know how to return the favour,” she says after Dinah rinses out the conditioner, eyes closed off to hide her worry at messing up the intricate braids and locs in Dinah’s hair but the woman just smiles and shakes her head. 

“How about…” she starts, pausing to curl her fingers behind Helena’s elbow to urge her back to her feet. “You just watch and then you can do it next time?” 

The promise of a repeat makes her heart stutter to a stop for a second and it must show on her face because Dinah gets that endeared look in her eyes, a look almost exclusively reserved for Helena. 

“Yeah?” Dinah asks, prompting an answer and Helena’s nod is a little jerky from her enthusiasm. 

“Yes.” 

Dinah hands her a washcloth with soap to do her body and she’s only half focused on getting herself clean, paying close attention to the way Dinah washes her hair, trying to memorise all the steps involved but she’s too mesmerised by the ripple of Dinah’s back muscles, her forearms flexing and relaxing as she works, gets distracted by the dip of her neck into her collarbone and the curve of her hip and all the skin on display, noticing for the first time a string of bruises along her shin and calf and a large, purpling bruise curled around her ribcage. 

“Is this from today?” Helena asks, carefully touching the edge of the purple bruise, fingers brushing against Dinah’s back and her touch must come as a surprise because it elicits a sharp inhale that Helena can feel under her touch. “Sorry,” she says immediately, retracting her hand but then Dinah’s turning to her, shaking her head and she doesn’t smile but that dimple makes an appearance. 

“It’s alright, you just surprised me,” she reassures. “And no, this one is from last week.” 

“Does it hurt?” Helena asks, fingers hovering over the sensitive skin but not daring to touch again. 

“It did last week,” Dinah says with a soft laugh and shifts closer so Helena ends up touching her anyway. She doesn’t flinch or gasp again so Helena doesn’t feel bad about touching her and it’s with a long, content sigh that Dinah tips her head back to let the main showerhead wash over her and rinse away the shampoo. 

The taut curve of her neck is so inviting and Helena is starting to get the hang of this, of the careful dance they’re doing around each other in the shower. Dinah’s not necessarily taunting her, but she’s provoking a reaction out of her, trying to ease her out of that mindset she’d held for years that had only been focused on revenge and nothing else, that had caused some of her other skills to fall away. 

The careful yet meticulous way Dinah has been handling her all night finally clicks into place and she understands and when Dinah lifts her head again and wipes her face free of water, Helena’s hand is there, curling around the back of her neck and pulling her closer. 

Dinah seems happy and comfortable with the move, body curving closer but then, because Helena can’t help some taunting of her own, she doesn’t kiss Dinah or pull her flush against her body, just uses her hold to twist their positions so that she’s the one under the stream of water. 

Dinah’s eyes go wide, mouth dropping open in a clear picture of betrayal that Helena enjoys as she twists and turns so that the remnants of soap can be washed away from her body. 

“You did not just—” Dinah gestures vaguely to the shower and then to herself and Helena just nods with a proud grin. “Wow,” she says but Helena can see that the indignation is exaggerated. 

Dinah shakes her head and reaches for the bar of soap, effectively taking Helena’s attention again as she methodically slathers her body in soap and Helena feels her throat go dry when Dinah bends down to get her legs, unable to look away. 

“May I?” Dinah asks when she straightens again and stands right in front of Helena, so close that she can feel the body heat coming off the woman. 

“Please,” Helena manages as she steps aside but hands on her hips stop her, hold her in place as Dinah closes the last of the space between them, lets the water cascade over her as she slides her hand up Helena’s side until she can’t anymore and then moves it to Helena’s shoulder, hand roving along the dip of her collarbone. 

“You know what would be nice?” she asks lowly, eyes so dark that Helena could get lost in them. 

“What?” 

“Another kiss.” 

“Yeah.” 

“You agree?” Dinah asks with a slow smile and as much as she tries to tone it down, Helena knows her answering nod is very enthusiastic. 

She can feel Dinah’s smile against her lips when they kiss again, and this time she doesn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss, her hands familiar with the curve of Dinah’s hips when she rests them there and when Dinah sighs and sinks further against her, she wraps an arm around the woman and lets her touch wander up her back. 

When they part for air, Helena doesn’t pull away and Dinah smiles, eyes remaining closed as she licks her lips and it almost makes Helena want to forgo the needed oxygen so that she can kiss Dinah again. 

“Are you still staying in that shitty motel downtown?” Dinah asks, her voice raspy even after she clears her throat, and she glances up at Helena through her lashes, a coy smile playing about her lips. 

The question comes out of nowhere and Helena’s honestly a little surprised by it but she still says, “Yes.” 

“Do you want to sleep over? See what a real mattress feels like?” 

The humour is there to cover up the risk of asking, and Helena’s suspicion is confirmed when Dinah doesn’t meet her eyes. 

“Just a sleepover?” 

“Just a sleepover.” 

“Then yes.” 

And the smile that elicits from Dinah? 

Helena’s not sure she’ll ever see anything more beautiful. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading and let me know what you think!


End file.
